Lawyer says barrel-bodies suspect will plead innocent

OLATHE, Kan. - The lawyer for a man suspected in the deaths of five women whose bodies were found in barrels said Thursday that his client is innocent and complained that the media have already convicted him.

John Edward Robinson Sr., 56, has been charged only in two sexual assault cases while investigators look into his connection with the five bodies, which were found in the last week in barrels on his farm and in a storage locker he rented.

''I resent the fact that people are now claiming that Mr. Robinson, either directly or indirectly, is a serial killer,'' public defender Byron Cerrillo said Thursday.

Cerrillo said Robinson would plead innocent to the sexual assault charges and any murder charges that might be filed. He also complained that Robinson is being held on $5 million bond in maximum security, although he is not charged with murder.

Authorities said Robinson would meet women through Internet chat rooms, where he used the name ''slavemaster'' and arranged meetings for sadomasochistic sex.

Robinson's family - he has a wife and at least two grown children - issued a statement saying they are horrified by the events of the last week.

''As each day has passed, the surreal events have built into a narrative that is almost beyond comprehension,'' the statement said. ''While we do not discount the information that has and continues to come to light, we do not know the person whom we have read and heard about on TV. The John Robinson we know has always been a loving and caring father.''

Security personnel were keeping people away from the family's home in Olathe on Thursday. Someone had also altered the address adorning the home, which was well-kept except for the remains of eggs, which a neighbor said had been thrown at the house recently.

Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison denied that he's trying Robinson in the media, and said that the public has a right to know information in such cases. He said other charges would be filed when he believes there is enough evidence.